Judges 11

1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.

1 基列人耶弗他是个英勇的战士，他父亲名叫基列，母亲是个妓女。

2 And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”

2 基列的妻子还生了几个儿子，他们长大后，便把耶弗他赶出家门，说：“你是别的女人生的，你休想继承我们父亲的任何产业。”

3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.

3 耶弗他只好逃走，住在陀伯地区。有一群匪徒聚集到他身边，跟随了他。

4 Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel

4 后来，亚扪人攻打以色列，

5 and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.

5 基列的众长老就去陀伯请耶弗他，

6 “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”

6 对他说：“请你回来做统帅带领我们对抗亚扪人。”

7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”

7 耶弗他说：“从前你们不是厌恶我，把我从父亲家赶走的吗？现在你们遭难，为什么来找我？”

8 They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”

8 基列的众长老说：“我们现在是来请你跟我们一起回去抵抗亚扪人，你可以做所有基列人的首领。”

9 But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”

9 耶弗他说：“如果你们请我回去与亚扪人作战，耶和华让我打败他们，我就真的可以做你们的首领吗？”

10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”

10 基列的首领们说：“我们必听从你的吩咐，有耶和华为我们作证。”

11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

11 于是，耶弗他便跟他们一起回去。民众拥立他做他们的首领和元帅。耶弗他在米斯巴将之前所说的话在耶和华面前重申一遍。

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”

12 然后，他派遣使者去问亚扪王：“你与我有什么相干？为什么要攻打我的领土？”

13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”

13 亚扪王对他的使者说：“因为以色列人从埃及出来的时候占据了我们的土地，从亚嫩河到雅博河，一直到约旦河。现在你们要和平地归还我们。”

14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites

14 耶弗他再差遣使者去见亚扪王，

15 to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.

15 对他说：“以色列人并没有占据摩押和亚扪的土地。

16 But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

16 当年以色列人离开埃及，经旷野渡过红海来到加低斯，

17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.

17 然后派遣使者去见以东王，说，‘求你让我们经过你的领土。’以东王却不答应。他们又派遣使者去见摩押王，摩押王也不答应。于是，以色列人就住在加低斯。

18 Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.

18 后来，他们走过旷野，绕过以东和摩押，到了摩押的东边，在摩押的边界亚嫩河东岸扎营，并没有进入摩押境内。

19 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’

19 以色列人派遣使者去见希实本的亚摩利王西宏，对他说，‘求让我们经过你的领土前往我们自己的土地。’

20 But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

20 但西宏不信任以色列人，拒绝了他们的请求，并招聚全军驻扎在雅杂，攻打他们。

21 Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,

21 但以色列的上帝耶和华帮助以色列人战胜西宏和他的军队，占领了亚摩利人所有的土地，

22 seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

22 从亚嫩河直到雅博河，从旷野直到约旦河。

23 Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?

23 既然是以色列的上帝耶和华为祂的以色列子民赶走了亚摩利人，你凭什么要夺取这块土地？

24 Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.

24 你拥有你们的神明基抹给你们的土地，我们也要拥有我们的上帝耶和华赐给我们的土地。

25 Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?

25 难道你比摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒更强吗？他从未挑战过以色列人，也未和以色列人交过战。

26 For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?

26 三百年来，以色列人一直住在希实本及其周围的乡村、亚罗珥及其周围的乡村和亚嫩河沿岸一带的城邑。在这期间，你们为什么不收回这些土地呢？

27 I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”

27 我们没有得罪你们，你们却攻打我们。愿审判者耶和华今天在以色列人和亚扪人之间主持公道。”

28 But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.

28 可是，亚扪王不理会耶弗他派使者所传的话。

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.

29 那时，耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上，他便经过基列和玛拿西，来到基列的米斯巴，然后从那里去迎战亚扪人。

30 Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,

30 他向耶和华许愿说：“如果你把亚扪人交在我手中，

31 then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

31 让我平安归来，第一个从我家门出来迎接我的人必归给你，我必把他献给你作燔祭。”

32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.

32 于是，耶弗他率军与亚扪人作战，耶和华把敌人交在他手中，

33 With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

33 他大败敌军，摧毁了从亚罗珥到米匿、远至亚备勒·基拉明的二十座城。这样，以色列人征服了亚扪人。

34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

34 耶弗他返回自己在米斯巴的家，他的独生女儿敲着鼓、跳着舞出来迎接他。

35 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

35 他一见自己的女儿，便撕裂衣服，说：“唉，我的女儿啊，你真让我伤心欲绝，祸患临头！我向耶和华许了愿，不能收回了！”

36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”

36 他女儿说：“父亲啊，你既然向耶和华许了愿，就照你许的愿对待我吧！因为耶和华帮你打败了敌军亚扪人，为你报了仇。

37 She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”

37 但求你先给我两个月的时间，让我和同伴到山上去为我终身未嫁哀哭。”

38 “Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.

38 耶弗他答应了，给了她两个月的时间。于是，她便和同伴到山上为自己终身未嫁哀哭。

39 After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel

39 两个月后，她回到父亲那里。她父亲履行了自己所许的愿。她从未与男人同房。自此以后，在以色列有个习俗：

40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

40 每年以色列的女子都去为基列人耶弗他的女儿哀哭四天。